Stephanopis nigra O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869

Machado, Miguel, Teixeira, Renato Augusto & Milledge, Graham A., 2019, On the Australian Bark Crab Spider Genus Stephanopis: Taxonomic Review and Description of Seven New Species (Araneae: Thomisidae: Stephanopinae), Records of the Australian Museum 71 (6), pp. 217-276 : 261-264

Stephanopis nigra O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869

Figs 37–39

Stephanopis nigra O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869: 62 , pl. 5, fig. 40. (1 female from northern Australia, dried, pinned and deposited in the Hope Collection , OUMNH, not located, lost).

Stephanopis tuberculata Bradley, 1871: 235 . (syntypes, 2 adult females and 1 juvenile from Nepean Towers , Sydney, [34°11'S 150°42'E, New South Wales, Australia], OUMNH 12 , examined). New synonym.

Neotype ♀, AMS KS.109395, 1♀, Royal NP ( Uloola Falls Campground ), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 34°06'54"S 151°02'06"E, N. Camps, 25 April 1954, (designated here).

Generally, body colouration is a useful and limiting characteristic to distinguish S. nigra from its closest species, S. altifrons . While S. altifrons are usually brownish, dark-yellow or green due to the attachment of organic particles on their tegument, S. nigra present darker colours like grey and mostly black (in Latin, nigra ). This might be associated with the kind of substrate on which they hunt. Further investigations are needed to check if there is a specific relationship between plant and spider to corroborate such a hypothesis.

Although the holotype of S. nigra could not be found after several attempts to find it in European and Australian collections, the original description makes clear the striking resemblance of this species with S. altifrons , highlighting, however, its more pronounced tubercles and the predominant black body colouration. These same characteristics are listed to describe S. tuberculata , which is also similarly compared to S. nigra by Bradley (1871). The examination of the paratypes of S. tuberculata matches perfectly with the features mentioned in the original description made by Bradley (1871), therefore we consider this species to be synonymous with S. nigra , and designate a neotype for it. The neotype, however, was not based on one of these syntypes because they are not from the same type locality. The specimen elected as neotype matches very closely with the features listed in the original description and the diagnostic characters mentioned by Pickard-Cambridge (1869).

Other material examined. Queensland: AMS KS.81284, 1♀, Wolfram , 17°05'S 144°57'E, N.C. Coleman, 15 June 1970 ; QM S80300, 1♀, Gemini Mountains , 22°28'6.10"S 147°52'30.03"E, C.J. Burwell, 6 March 2006 ; QM S55042, 1♀, Wide Bay-Burnett , E. Ford, 25 April 2001 ; QM S104670 , 1♀, Kroombit Tops NP, 24°22'37.75"S 151°2'28.73"E, Thompson & Yeates, 22–26 February 1982 ; KS.109397, 1♀, Condamine , 26°56'S 150°06'E, N. Geary, 27 March 1937 ; QM S14587 , 1♂, Lake Broadwater Cottage ( Southwest of Dalby ), 27°21'S 151°6'E, J. Gallon, 9 December 1987 ; QM S65897 , 1♂, Ransome Reserve , 27°29'20.4"S 153°11'3.12"E , Queensland Museum Party , 27 November 2003 ; QM S65499 , 1♂, Carindale ( Belmont Hills Bushlands ), 27°30'28.224"S 153°7'3"E, 3 November 2003 . New South Wales: AMS KS.65781, 1♂, Irishman State Forest , 30°33'43"S 152°42'12"E, G. Milledge & H. Smith, 25 November 1999 ; AMS KS.75591, 1♂, Oaky Creek Nature Reserve , 31°07'22"S 150°37'29"E, H. Smith, 8 November 2001 ; AMS KS.10170, 1♂, Bonny Hills , 31°36'S 152°51'E, M. Gray & C. Horseman, 9 December 1981 ; AMS KS.109394, 1♂, 1♀, Tubrabucca ( Barrington Tops ), 32°05'S 151°30'E, A.S. Smithers, 30 December 1961 ; AMS KS.81979, 1♂, Munmorah NP, 33°13'S 151°34'E, M. Gray, 12 November 2002 ; AMS KS.81289, 1♀, Mooney , 33°31'S 151°12'E, R. Mascord, November 1972 ; AMS KS.108738, 1♀, Pittwater , 33°38'S 151°18'E, J. Child, 2 March 1966 ; AMS KS.108742, 1♀, R. Mascord, 5 April 1966 ; AMS KS.121440, 1♀, Medlow Bath , 33°41'S 150°17'E, 28 June 1946 ; AMS KS.50556, 1♂, Heathcote NP, 34°05'S 151°E, M. R. Gray, February 1997 ; AMS KS.50557, 2 females same data ; AMS KS.108727, 1♀, Sydney ( Waterfall ), 34°08'S 151°00'E, R. Mascord, 3 September 1968 ; AMS KS.119679, 1♂, Coastal Reserve ( Tathra ), 36°43'55"S 149°59'12"E, G. Milledge & H. Smith, 24 December 2012 . Tasmania: AMS KS.31437, 1♀, Cascades , 41°10'S 147°49'E, V. V. Hickman, 14 June 1948 ; AMS KS.31405, 1♂, 1♀, Punch Bowl , 41°27'S 147°10'E, V. V. Hickman, 17 January 1925 ; AMS KS.31406, 1♂, 1♀, Glen Dhu , 11 January 1930 ; AMS KS.31416, 1♀, Glen Dhu , August 1929 ; AMS KS.31414, 1♀, Trevallyn , 1926 ; AMS KS.31440, 1♀, Trevallyn , May 1931 ; AMS KS.31481, 1♂, same data except 28 May 1931 ; AMS KS.31411, 2♂♂, Risdon , 42°49'S 147°21'E, V. V. Hickman, 8 January 1948 ; AMS KS.31392, 1♀, Queens Domain , 42°52'S 147°19'E, V. V. Hickman, 13 April 1968 ; AMS KS.31479, 1♀, same data except September 1956 ; AMS KS.31393, 1♀, same data except 18 April 1968 ; AMS KS.31439, 1♀, 1same data except 7 June 1963 ; AMS KS.31448, 1♀, same data except 16 November 1967 ; AMS KS.31473, 1♀, same data except 22 September 1958 ; AMS KS.31480, 1♀, same data except 20 December 1947 .

Diagnosis. The morphological differences between S. nigra and S. altifrons are few and it is almost impossible to distinguish them by looking solely to their dorsal habitus. Both species present a high cephalic prominence, high clypeus, and an obovate opisthosoma bearing posterior tubercles with specialized setae. However, females and males of S. nigra can be recognized by their more rugose aspect due to stouter setiferous tubercles on the prosoma and legs ( Figs 37A and 38A ). Unlike in S. altifrons , the females of S. nigra present CO oriented horizontally ( Fig. 37C ), glandularheads median-positioned and anterior chambers rounded, hyaline, thin and membranous ( Fig. 37D ). Males can only be distinguished from those of S. altifrons by their palpi, which possess a wider tegulum, wider embolus ( Fig. 38C ) and unequal size of the RTA and RTAvbr: in males of S. altifrons the size of the conical apophysis and its accessory branch is almost equivalent (being the RTAvbr slightly stouter than the RTA). In S. nigra the RTA is bigger and laminar ( Fig. 38D ). Also, the Pcym curves ventrally way above the apophysis instead of close to the tip of the RTAvbr ( Fig. 38A ).

Description. Female (AMS KS.109395): Anterior eye row strongly recurved ( Fig. 37B ) and posterior row procurved ( Fig. 37B ). Prosoma, legs and opisthosoma predominantly

264 Records of the Australian Museum (2019) Vol. 71 dark-brown/black; lateral surfaces of all legs dark-yellow; anterior tarsi (I and II) reddish and anterior tibiae ventrally armed with four pairs of macrosetae ( Fig. 37A ).

Measurements: eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.20, PME 0.12, PLE 0.09, AME–AME 0.16, AME–ALE 0.10, PME–PME 0.23, PME–PLE 0.15, MOQ length 0.40, width 0.35; leg formula: 1-2-3-4: leg I—femur 3.67/ patella 2.50/ tibia 3.16/ metatarsus 2.35/ tarsus 1.36/ total 13.04; II—3.22/ 2.44/ 2.58/ 1.96/ 1.24 11.44; III—2.66/ 1.32/ 2.26/ 1.79/ 0.99/ 9.02; IV—2.73/ 1.11/ 2.05/ 1.83/ 0.90/ 8.62. Total body length 9.35; prosoma length 4.72, width 4.04; opisthosoma length 4.63; clypeus height 0.82; sternum length 1.97, width 1.69; gnathocoxae length 1.02, width 0.46; labium length 0.65, width 0.75.

Male (AMS KS.65781): Prosoma predominantly darkbrown with yellow spots on the sides right behind the cephalic area, and median portion of the posterior slope ( Fig. 38A and B ). Eye arrangement as in female. Femora I and II dark-brown; patellae, tibiae, tarsi and metatarsi of all legs brown with yellow spots; femora III and IV mainly yellow on its proximal portion. Opisthosoma dark-brown, darker at the area of the dorsal muscular sigilla; anterior border concave and posterior rounded, with many setiferous tubercles ( Fig. 38D ).

Measurements: eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.17, PME 0.11, PLE 0.11, AME–AME 0.09, AME–ALE 0.07, PME–PME 0.14, PME–PLE 0.07, MOQ length 0.42, width 0.32; leg formula: 1-2-3-4: leg I—femur 2.51/ patella 1.40/ tibia 2.10/ metatarsus 1.68/ tarsus 0.89/ total 8.58; II—2.21/ 1.20/ 1.76/ 1.52/ 0.88 7.57; III—1.77/ 0.78/ 1.79/ 1.35/ 0.68/ 6.37; IV—1.75/ 0.70/ 1.36/ 1.33/ 0.67/ 5.81. Total body length 6.06; prosoma length 2.93, width 2.44; opisthosoma length 3.13; clypeus height 0.46; sternum length 1.17, width 1.26; gnathocoxae length 0.64, width 0.30; labium length 0.31, width 0.43.

Distribution. Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia ( Fig. 42 ).

Figures

Figure 37. Stephanopis nigra O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869, female (AMS KS.109395). (A) dorsal habitus; (B) front; (C) epigynal plate, ventral view; (D) epigynal plate/spermathecae.

Figure 38. Stephanopis nigra O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869, male (AMS KS.65781). (A) dorsal habitus; (B) front; (C) ventral view of the left palp; (D) left palp, retro lateral view.

Figure 39. Stephanopis nigra females. Photos by (A) James Niland and (B) Nicholas Fisher.

Figure 42. Distribution records of S. nana sp. nov., S. nigra, S. palliolata and S. rufiventris.